Metamorphosis
by fireyangel020
Summary: The world died a second time, but they were given a third chance to make things right. How will they use their knowledge to change the world? How will they react when they find out that there is something really different with their Soul Mark? What is Gaia up to? (Cross posted from AO3)
1. Prologue

Update 8/13/17: This work has been edited and beta'd by the lovely and awesome ChaosBalance over on Ao3 who has been an amazing help throughout this journey.

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"I want to see your smile."

He closed his eyes against the bleak sky that was staring at him from above. It never failed to bring those memories racing back. Just hearing that low upbeat voice sent tremors through his aching body. It had been so many years since he had last heard it, that it had him fighting tears that were trying to spill over and run down his face. It was a losing battle.

"Come on Cloud, we were given a second chance and we made the most of it." Zack's voice sounded as if he was right there next to him.

He knew there was only one thing he could do. So, he ignored the tear tracks that were washing away the soot on his face, and opened his eyes to the ash filled sky and smiled. Maybe not the best smile, but it was a smile for Zack.

"Hey! Don't cry." Her voice was like the sunshine he hadn't seen in ages. Of course she would be there too. Aerith would make sure to shadow Zack, so that he didn't lose his mind while waiting for his Soulmate.

"M'ss 'im." His voice coming out distorted from the pain lancing through his body. He struggled on his next breath to be able to speak clearly. "I can't believe I've been able to hold it together so long. I can't do it anymore." The last spoken on nothing but a whisper.

"Then, I think our news will help you out some." Her bright cheerful voice floated to him, along with the smell of flowers that always accompanied her presence.

"We're getting a third chance Spike! Also, from what Aerith was told, we won't be the only ones to remember everything!" Zack's exuberance hadn't changed much. He might have mellowed a bit but it would never go away. It gave so much hope for what was to come.

"We can try again, to stop the world from ending?" His voice wasn't as rough, but it was fragile. He couldn't go through all of that all over again. They had to be able to actually change things for the better. To be able to save all the lives that were lost to them. So much was learned in their second lives that could be put to use if they really were getting another chance.

"Of course. I mean this life was already a bit better than the first. Our mark was proof of that." It felt like fingertips grazing his calf where his Mark of the cocoon sat. Shivering, he closed his eyes against the sensation.

"Please tell me I'm not imagining this?" the begging pleading tone in his voice doing him no justice. It wasn't something that was normally in his nature to do.

"Cloud…" Zack sighed, not knowing what to say. That's what he had Aerith with him for. She always knew what to say to either of them when the other was lost. She was ever their big sister.

"It's time to get you out of this wasteland." Her whisper was so gentle, knowing just how fragile he was in that moment.

He opened his eyes for a moment and looked around himself at the burning land that had been torn asunder. There was nothing left. Only him. "Yeah let's," and it all went dark.

The darkness wasn't what scared him anymore. It was that feeling of being the only person in that darkness. It can tear you apart and change you. No one wanted that, especially Cloud. He had lost so many of his memories in his first life already and just wanted to stay who he was.

Then the burning started. It was the same as last time. The ache in his calf was fierce. He knew that it had to be changing. He just hoped it was a good sign. He didn't want to lose his other half just because Gaia chose to change him again. He couldn't lose Zack. As the pain grew all thoughts were fading. His last thought was the feeling of lips on his own as the darkness swallowed him whole.

When thoughts slowly came back to him they were different. Definitely not what he was expecting.

He could feel the darkness slowly adding to who he was. Instead of tearing him down, the darkness was building him up. Missing memories slowly sliding into place. Methodically piecing together who he once was. It was almost like watching himself grow up. As if he was reliving that missing past.

It didn't erase the horrors that he had lived. He needed all of his information to make things right. Everything that he had lived over the past two lifetimes made him the man that he was at heart. He didn't want his past to change because he was going to change the future. It seemed as if Gaia felt the same.

Just as the darkness swiftly overtook him without mercy, it clung and took its time letting go. Not wanting to release him but knowing that it must. It was just biding its time, waiting for that perfect moment. It wasn't like the first time when Cloud was sent back. This time Gaia had a better idea of what she was doing. Her plan was more concrete, well rounded, and thought out.


	2. 1: Hi Momma

Update 8/13/17: This work has been edited and beta'd by the lovely and awesome ChaosBalance over on Ao3 who has been an amazing help throughout this journey.

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He kept his breathing at a steady pace when he realized that he was finally waking up. The voices beside him were hushed and upset as he struggled his way out of the darkness. The ex-mercenary slowly used his senses to scout his surroundings so as to not alert the people near him of the fact that he was awake.

This first thing Cloud realized was that he still had his enhancements. They felt different though. It was as if it was pure Mako from the lifestream and not the diluted JENOVA crap that Hojo thought was oh so superior, the idiot. 'Thank Gaia,' he thought though. There would be no way to really save the world if he couldn't fight against SOLDIERs. Can't fight SOLDIERs without enhancements. Really though, if things worked out the right way he wouldn't have to worry about fighting them.

The second thing to hit Cloud was the smell of pine, fire, and bread. Smells that all meant one thing, Ma! With that he slowly opened his eyes; he had to be sure. As the blurriness eased away he saw her. Her blond hair pulled up into a messy bun, with strands going every which way as if they were trying to escape the elastic holding it all in place. Her small hands, calloused from years of hard labor, were balled into fists at her sides. Her short frame was drawn up to its fullest height, back straight and shoulders squared. He couldn't stop his gasp as he saw his Ma. There she stood in all her glory quietly yelling at the Mayor, full of life and hale and _alive_.

Rain Strife ceased her quarreling when she heard the gasp. Turning around quickly she saw those watery ocean blue eyes staring at her with tears running down flushed cheeks. She was there immediately pulling her boy to her and wiping the tears. "It's okay sweetie, Ma has you."

Cloud just cried that much harder as his mother hugged him to her. All of his poignant feelings regarding his mother's deaths resurfacing, and slowly easing from him as he was held in her embrace. He just buried his head further into the crook of her neck. "Ma," he breathed. He didn't know if it was okay to believe that she was real. It had been too long since he had seen his mother.

"You may leave now Mayor." She looked up at him with disdain clearly written on her face. "I need to tend to my son. You know where the door is." And with that dismissal she focused on her son wrapped snug in her arms. There was no reply from the Mayor, which was just as well. So with a gentle soothing voice she asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurtin' anywhere?"

Cloud just shook his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to her, but he wasn't ready to talk. He instead focused on the footsteps fading away until he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. He tightened his grip on his Ma just a bit. He wasn't ready to let her go.

He was worried about what would happen in this life as well. He was going to save his Ma, he knew that for a fact. He couldn't survive failing her again. There were so many possibilities this time around though. He also needed to figure out who remembered their previous lives and who was in the dark. That is if Aerith really had found a way to make more people remember. It would make things easier with more people to back them up. Those were thoughts for another time, when he wasn't out of it from just waking up in the past. He had to gain control of himself, and then figure out where to go from there.

"Okay sweetie, I'm here when you're ready." Rain rubbed her son's back in gentle circles. She hadn't been able to find anything physically _wrong_ with Cloud over the past week. There was the fact that his eyes were brighter and glowed, although she knew that could happen with Mako-poisoning. Other than that, to her it seemed as if he had more muscle definition, was a bit taller and overall seemed healthier than before the fall. That didn't mean that the Mako he fell in hadn't affected him mentally. Though she was skeptical on that last bit. Cloud was strong, even if no one else saw it but her. "What in Ifrit's Hel were those kids thinking? I know you're on the smaller side, but to bully you into going up the mountain like that? It's just luck that Tifa followed you up there like you followed her when she went up the mountain. I don't want to think about what could have happened or the story that they would have spouted. Though Tifa can be a sweet girl. Even though I'm still not happy she didn't tell the whole truth last year. Kinda sad she's not your soul mate, but there's a reason for everythin'. I can't believe the Mayor for sayin' it's your fault! I could skin him alive!"

The laugh was a startle to them both. Pausing her rant Rain looked down at her son in surprise. Cloud slowly pulled away from the hug. He had wide red rimmed eyes with tear tracks flowing down his cheeks, and a giant smile on his face. "I love you Ma," and he lunged back in for another hug. The ex-mercenary had forgotten how out spoken his Ma could be. And how protective too. It was nice.

"Oh sweetie! I love you too." Rain squeezed her little boy to her chest, even though he didn't feel so little anymore. She didn't know what she would have done had Cloud stayed in a coma. He was her world. She would never regret not telling his father about him. That would have been a disaster waiting to happen if he found out. Besides the man didn't need to know that he had one more bastard child in the world for him to ignore, or worse. A one night stand with someone never turned out so wonderful for her. With no possible soul mate in the world for herself, she was okay in that knowledge.

With his head buried in his mother's neck Cloud's voice came out muffled when he started to talk. "I'm not the same anymore. I'm not the same Cloud I was before I fell in that Mako Pool. There's a lot I have to tell you, and you probably won't like most of it. No, I know you won't like most of it." He took a deep breath and was quite for a minute. "It's going to be a lot to take in and even harder to accept. I have proof that what I'm saying isn't a lie. It wasn't a hallucination from the mako or anything like that." There would be no hiding the fact that he was a man in a child's body from his Ma. The changes would be too drastic and would make him stand out. Besides, his Ma deserved to know the truth of his life.

Rain furrowed her brows in thought as she held her son to her. There was anguish in his voice that she had never heard before. It hurt her to hear her baby's voice like that. No mother wanted to know that their child suffered any pain, let alone pain that bled through their voice to rake at your heart like Cloud's did. He also cried in her arms in a way that she had never seen, even when he was younger. It was almost like he was mourning or grieving. "Okay. I can already tell somethin's different. I can't say I won't come unglued hearin' any of this, but I'll try to keep my composure 'til you're through with your story," was Rain's response as she laid her cheek on the top of his head. There was more that could have been said, though she figured he already understood. Rain was worried. She didn't like where this was going.

After relaxing into his Ma's embrace, Cloud pulled back to be able to see his mother clearly. This was it. He would tell her his story. "To start… I've been sent back in time. This is actually the second time, but it will be my third life." He closes his eyes for a minute before telling his Ma the whole story.

It took a while but he got through it. Cloud broke a few times on hard parts, like when Zack was taken from him both times and when he had to kill his hero over and over. He told her of all of the problems with SHINRA and that he knows who his father is. "Don't worry I want nothing to do with the man, and I don't blame you for not telling me about him," he said when she looked at him with concern and an apology shining in her eyes. "He is ruining the world and is only out for himself with little care for anyone else. The man can go rot in Hel for all I care." Then Cloud told her about all the friends he had made and lost, and about how he saw the world fall to ruin twice.

Rain had never seen anger or pain so strong in anyone before. She had to stop herself from gasping at the sight of in on her little boys face. Rain would agree that there was no love lost to the man though. He might have sired her son but he was not a father. The only other time she saw the same anger is when he is talking about a Professor Hojo. The name rang a bell, and when Cloud said that the experiments were based in their town of Nibelhiem, she knew why. All those that went missing years ago and she could never prove it was him. It sickened her to know that her son was at the mercy of that man at some point in time.

Towards the middle of the story she realizes that she has tears trailing down her cheeks. Rain didn't know when she started crying. If the wetness on her cheeks and on her shirt was any indication, she had been crying for a while. This was no sweet bedtime story like she used to tell him. Cloud was telling his life's story and it was breaking her heart. No one should be put through so much pain, especially not her sweet little boy.

Cloud finished with the main parts of his story, only to finish it all by telling her more about Zack. It's always a good topic even with the loss he had to suffer. He tells her everything but the secrets between him and Zack, because well, those are theirs. From the look on her face he assumed that she was happy with his soul mate.

That's when it hit him. "I don't know what my new bond mark looks like. Would you look at it with me?"

Rain remembered her son having a part of an hourglass on his left calf. He told her that when he was brought back the first time it had been a cocoon. It made her wonder. She helped him situate himself so that he could comfortably roll his pant leg up.

It was breathtaking. A butterfly wing with blue and violet swirling together, and at the edge there was a sliver of silver where there should be a body connected to it. Rain had never seen anything like it.

"It's not complete! That doesn't make sense. The mark has been complete ever since our first kiss in our original timeline. There should be no missing pieces." Cloud was scared and upset. What in the world did Gaia do to his bond mark? "I can't be without Zack."

Rain spoke in a calming voice, "Maybe you have been gifted with others in your bond. If Gaia can change your bond mark so easily, then maybe it's just as easy for her to add people to your bond. Unfortunately, all I know about soul mates is from books and other people." Rain's voice grew quieter as she talked. She locked her pale blue eyes onto Cloud's bright sky blue ones. "I haven't told anyone this and the only ones who knew were your grandparents. Your Ma doesn't have a bond mark. Gaia does thin's for a reason. You are smart and one day you will figure out why she has given you this gift. Everythin' will work out. You will put your knowledge to good use." She slowly stood from Clouds bed and started walking to the bedroom door. "I need a little bit of time to wrap my head around this and I'm sure you're starvin'. I believe you, but it's all a bit of a shock. I'll let you know when food is done," and with that she left.

Cloud sank back into his bed. 'There's someone other than Zack that's my soul mate?' That thought raced around in ex-mercenaries head for a while. It was only them for so long. 'Who are they? What are they like?' The questions kept growing. Cloud knew he had to stop. He slowly let go of everything that was out of his control. Let it slip out of his mind and not dwell on it. It had taken some time to learn that skill.

Instead he made a list of things that needed to be done. The short-term list of goals he needed to accomplish was fairly small. Get a phone to call Zack. Wake up Vincent and see what Tifa was up to. Take out JENOVA before leaving town. Take the reactor offline while he was at it. It wasn't like the town used any of the power that came from it anyways. It was always too unstable. He was grateful that he wouldn't have to do any strength training since he had Mako running through his veins.

Getting in touch with Zack was priority number one. Luckily, Cloud had Zack's Shinra PHS number memorized. The downside of that knowledge was that Cloud didn't have a PHS of his own. Yeah he could use the public phone in town but he needed a secure line that couldn't be hacked. Well, Zack would need one as well. He figured he would work that out while he went to wake Vincent up. He also wanted to see Tifa. The ex-mercenary mused about all of his different options that he had in front of him. That was until he could smell the home cooked meal coming from the kitchen.

Cloud climbed out of bed and allowed his nose to slowly direct him to the food. He had to let it sink in more that he was back in time with his Ma as he took in the little house that was his childhood home. The nostalgia and warmth that it brought to his heart was priceless. For so long these memories were lost to him. It made the smells and sights almost overwhelming. He took a few minutes in each area of the small house just to soak it all in. It was nice being able to let it all wash over himself without feeling like he was weighed down by it all. Once the ex-mercenary reached the dining area he paused to watch his Ma putter around the kitchen getting food ready.

With a look outside he assumed that it was about midday. Maybe he'd venture out to the mansion before night fall. For now eating some of his Ma's home cooked food sounded like a divine idea. His Ma's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Last week you were adamant about going to join SHINRA and becoming a SOLDIER. I take it that's not your plan anymore?" Rain had to ask. She would support her son no matter his decisions, but after everything he had told her, she needed to know.

"With everything I know, I don't want to go that route again. I'd rather move us out of this town and start my own business." He closed his eyes. "How old am I?" He asked with scrunched up confused face.

"You're sixteen as of last fall." Rain said as she started placing the prepared food on the table.

Well that was a new change. It would make certain things easier, that was for sure. With his eyes still closed, Cloud saw visions of everything that had ever went wrong playing out on the inside of his eyelids. Cloud ripped himself from those thoughts. "I'll be able to do more good without joining SHINRA then."

"Well we can take our time to think thin's through. I'm all for movin' out of this forsaken town. I just don't wanna see you hurt more than you already have been." She paused as she brought the rest of the finished food over to the table. Rain was chewing on a thought as she sat down. Eventually, "I'm stickin' with you. I'll do what I can to help you with any dream that you want to achieve, no matter what that dream is."

Cloud stared at his Ma for a full minute before reaching across the table to take her hand. "I love you. Now let's eat before this gets cold. I'll worry about the future and think about packing later. For now I want to enjoy having my Ma back in my life." With that both of the Strifes ate their meal in silence and basked in each other's presence. This was just as important as all the plans the ex-mercenary would eventually have to make.


	3. 2: Wake up Zack!

Update 8/13/17: This work has been edited and beta'd by the lovely and awesome ChaosBalance over on Ao3 who has been an amazing help throughout this journey.

* * *

"Zack come on. Wake up!" It was nice to dream of that voice. He hadn't heard that voice since his first life.

"Lieutenant SOLDIER First-Class Zackary Fair!" The command had him jerking out of bed faster than the other person was ready for. This caused them both to be caught in the whirlwind that was Zack causing an unfortunate clanking of head against head. Zack blinked his eyes as he looked all around him, taking in the sight of his disorganized Shinra issued Soldier-Second bedroom and the man standing next to his bed holding his forehead. Zack felt it quickly sinking in that he wasn't dreaming. Angeal really was waking him up.

Ignoring his pounding head, Zack impulsively jumped on his mentor, who was still having issues with seeing straight, "Angeal!"

"Down puppy," the man grunted as he tried to push Zack off of himself. It was of no use. Zack had latched on and was not letting go. It didn't matter to Zack that Angeal was a General SOLDIER First-Class, he was _not_ letting go.

"But you're _here_ ," Zack all but whined. Angeal was already gone by the time they were brought back in their second life. He didn't have a chance to save Angeal in their second life, so he wasn't very prepared to see him in this one. The last time they had been brought back was after the mess of Genesis and Angeal deserting and them making an enemy of Shinra. This time would be much different it seemed.

"Of course I'm here. You didn't show up for morning training and you didn't show up at your office either." Angeal reprimanded. His scolding lost a bit of its effectiveness with Zack wrapped around him like a squid. He had finally realized the folly of his struggles against his raven haired mentee, and thus let his arms fall loosely to his sides. Though he wasn't quite his mentee anymore since his promotion.

Zack deflated a bit at the tone of voice, but he couldn't stay down for long, not now that he was brought back again. Especially knowing that there was a better chance this time around to save everyone that was important to him. He would do everything in his power to make sure that everything worked out for the best. _'So, I don't think I should mention anything about time travel yet. I'll wait until I have to, to try to explain any of that. I'll just be the puppy friend that the generals need.'_ Zack thought to himself. With that decided, Zack smiled even brighter.

"I might have over did my training yesterday. I feel fine now though." Zack said, looking a little sheepish as he finally let go of Angeal to scratch the back of his head and look away. He slowly took in his surroundings as he felt new bits and pieces of information fitting into place. As Zack leisurely looked around his room, he took note of all the packed boxes.

"Don't push yourself too hard after getting your First injections. You don't want to overdo it. You might have been cleared by medical, but those injections are not to be taken lightly. You can still lapse and have a negative reaction to the mixture." Angeal's caught himself before he let his lecture get too out of hand. He knew that Zack understood the risks before accepting the promotion to First-Class. "Also, don't forget that the movers will be here later today to move you to your new apartment on the 60th floor." Angeal said as he eyed his student. Zack seemed different somehow, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Oh, I know. I feel fine now. I must have been exhausted when I got back last night though. Anyways, I was just trying to remember what day that was supposed to happen. I still can't believe I got the promotion already." Zack said, taking on a sheepish look again. His mind was alight with all of the new possibilities that were opening up to him. There were already changes to the timeline and as far as he knew he hadn't done anything yet. It was going to take more than a hot shower to help him sort out some of the new information. That and maybe a talk to his two favorite people. With that thought Zack started to gather up his uniform.

Angeal stared for a bit longer than was probably polite but who wouldn't, Zack seemed to have _mellowed_ overnight. It was something that he had thought to be an impossibility before coming to wake the raven haired man up. He was still an excitable puppy, but it was as if he was more mature. He shook his head to dislodge that thought. He must not have had enough sleep the night before. "As long as you're okay. Just try not to worry me like that."

"You got it. Thanks for waking me though. I'll be in my office after I get a shower in. I must have been tossing and turning in my sleep a lot or just forgot to take a shower after training yesterday, 'cause I smell, and not a good smell either." He grabbed the last article of clothes that he was looking for and practically ran into the bathroom. "Later 'Geal!"

It was different, having events that hadn't happened to him in over two lifetimes feel fresher in his memory. It was as if he had just lived it. In a way he had. His body was from this time so it would only make sense. It was easy to forget the small details after only a few years let alone a few decades. Not that he was going to complain, it just helped him come up with a perfect excuse.

Angeal was left there rubbing his head, staring at the closed door that his student had gone through. He stared at the bathroom door until the sound of running water brought him back to his senses. "I'll see you later then," he shouted over the water as he turned to let himself out. He picked up a few interesting words over the sound of water when Zack raised his voice a few times before he could leave.

"….can't freak... Angeal… alive… forced… kill... cry later… have… job…" Angeal stood there in confusion for a minute before shaking his head. His puppy must have had a bad dream. There was a lot that he was missing that his hearing couldn't pick up. Maybe he'd ask later. With that thought he finished walking out of the apartment.

Zack stood in front of the mirror with the faucet running as he stared at his reflection. Cold water dripping down his face from where he'd splashed it, masking the tear tracks. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were dilated. He was prepared for a lot of things coming back a third time. Being woken up by Angeal when he first got back, was not one of them. All of the emotions he thought he had dealt with over that first life were threatening to break him. At least he didn't break down in front of Angeal and he was able to keep himself composed. It was a near thing though.

"Cloud, I wish you were here," Zack whispered as he closed his eyes. Just thinking of his blonde haired lover gave him the strength to keep pushing forward. He was able to pull himself up and above the raging storm his emotions were causing in his heart. Turning off the faucet and moving to turn the shower on, Zack took one last shuddering breath before becoming the Zack everyone knew. He'd break down when he had Cloud by his side and no sooner. Well, maybe sooner when he went to visit Aerith.

While the First was stripping off his clothes to climb into the shower a thought occurred to him. He remembered the painful feeling of his soul mark changing but he had no idea what it looked like now. Zack finished shedding his clothes to be able to see his mark.

It took his breath away with how beautiful it was. He smiled as he traced it with his finger. It had hope for the future welling up again, until he noticed that it was no longer whole. "Nope. Not dealing with it right now. I'll talk to Cloud or Aerith about it."

Zack visibly shook himself out of further thought of his soul mark. He had more immediate problems to deal with. He would have to make sure that he didn't draw too much attention to himself. He also had to avoid the labs like the plague. Hojo and Hollander did not need to find out that he had pure lifestream running through his veins. Just the thought of those two men being alive and in the same building had Zack fighting the urge to find and kill them. Not that that wasn't the plan to begin with anyways, but there was no need to draw unneeded attention to himself.

Then, there was the fact that he had no way to get in touch with his blond haired soul mate. He could only wait, as patiently as Zack could, to hear any news from Cloud. In the meantime, he had the option of going down and bugging Aerith for any information that she had. Of course, the issue of Turks would be a hurdle. One he'd like to try to avoid if at all possible.

Out loud Zack said, "So, I guess I should do my work even though there are other things that need to be done. I'll get what I can done and then go talk to Aer and see what she knows." He was quiet for a moment as he let the water cascade over his head. "This sucks, I can't be without my Chocobo. Ugh, this is going to be a long day." With his ranting out of his system, Zack finished getting ready for work and took off.

He waved and said hi to everyone he passed as he followed the familiar path to his office. Even though he had lived two lives now, Zack was still the most optimistic and friendliest person you could meet. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry seemed to sense that he was in a hurry, as no one tried to hold him up or talk to him for more than the pleasant formalities he offered. It wasn't until he was rounding the corner to the hallway that would lead to his destination, that he noticed anything different. Bright green eyes surrounded by a shock of vivid red were wide and staring at him, as if they were looking at a ghost.

"You!" They all but yelled pointing their finger against his chest.

"Hey, I didn't do it this time. I was asleep all morning. I have proof. I even missed my training with Angeal and he had to come and wake me up." He kept babbling trying to placate the wild eyed red head. He did not want any of his friends mad at him. He also would not be blamed for a prank he didn't commit.

"Course it was you. Who do ya take me for? I don't have time for my head to be in the clouds. I'm a Turk," Reno drawled as he brought his hand back to himself palming his EMR and gave Zack a bit of space. "I still have no idea how you did it, but there was that garden you managed to grow in Tseng's keyboard. They were some pretty flowers, but man was he pissed when he noticed them growing."

"You can't blame that one on me! I was gone for two months before they started growing. I only heard that it had happened." Zack argued as he glared daggers at Reno. He was so not going to try and get him in trouble for one of his pranks.

Reno held his hands up in defense. "Ok fine, that one might have been one of mine. But there was the paint rainbows on the infantry vehicles windows."

"Ok, that one definitely wasn't me. I know those guys have to deal with Heidegger. They don't need to be tortured with pranks too."

"Ok I'll give you that. I wonder who did pull that one then." Reno cocked his head in thought for a moment before shaking the thought away. He gave Zack a mischievous smile before opening his mouth again. "I know for a fact though that you're the one that got Rude to eat a toothpaste filled Oreo."

Zack stares at him for a minute. He pulled that off with Reno's help in their first life. Rude never ate anything Zack offered to him again. It had also not happened in this current life. "He still won't eat anything I give him, will he?"

"Probably not, seeing as he still hasn't forgotten about it." The Turk said with a smirk as he looked Zack in the eyes. Letting him know in his own way that this conversation was more serious than some pranks.

"Anyways, I was planning on going to see a friend down in the slums once I get done with work. Maybe buy a flower from the girl who sells them down there. What do you think about me buying you and Rude a round of drinks at the new bar? I think it was Heaven something or other?" Zack asked as he started doing squats as a way to ease his tension. He had gotten better at using code but it still wasn't his best quality. He was hopeful that Reno remembered that.

"Yeah that would work yo. I'm sure Rude will be down for it. I think a few of the other Turks were wanting to go out as well. You wouldn't mind them tagging along would ya?" Reno flipped his EMR up to his shoulder as looked to be in thought.

Oh he definitely remembered, and from the sounds of it, some of the other Turks did too. This was going to be very different this time around if more people were going to be remembering their past lives. "That would be fine. How about you take a break from the drinking until then? You look like you're already tipsy."

"Well you better not get the idea to go out to the cliffs if you get drunk again." His accent was coming on thicker and those eyes that were just a bright green seemed dull. "I mean, I don't want to have to get the other Turks to help me save your sorry ass. We almost… didn't…make it last time."

Zack stopped his squats to stare at Reno. His voice had gone so low and his accent so thick Zack almost couldn't understand what he was saying. "Hey, I'm here now. Yeah it was stupid, but there will be no more stunts like that again!" he said trying to reassure the Turk.

Reno nodded his head and began twirling his EMR around as he started to walk away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't!" he hollered over his shoulder as he headed to the elevators.

"Like what? Drop a Plate?" Zack called out for a more personal confirmation that Reno remembered.

Reno paused without turning around. His drawl thick and his voice was low when he answered, "That's why I've already started drinking for the day. Stupid question, yo." Then he was vanishing into an empty elevator.

Zack gazed at the elevator Reno disappeared into for a few moments longer, almost wishing he could take back his questions. He didn't mean to hurt him, just confirm that he remembered everything. He eventually shook his head, turning to his door to unlock it. Once he was safely in his new office, Zack realized he might not get done with his work before he had to bail on it all.

"Let's do this," Zack muttered as he hunkered down at his desk to get to work, all the while cursing his younger self. He didn't let his mind wander, even though that's all it wanted to do. He didn't train in discipline with Cloud for nothing. Might have been a different context but the method still worked. He had time later to dwell on any plans that needed to be put in place. For now he'd get his work done and try not to run around screaming for his soulmate. That wouldn't do anyone any good.

* * *

A few hours into his work and Zack was ready to throw in the towel. SHINRA was wasting his talents on paperwork that a grunt could do. So when his phone rang he was ready for the breather. So without looking at the caller ID he picked up his phone.

"This is Fair," he answered with a cheerful voice.

A female voice he wasn't expecting came over the line. "Hi my name is Tifa. I'm calling about a lost chocobo that I found of yours. It wandered through Nibelheim. I tried to keep it here for you but it wouldn't stay. It's currently headed towards Rocket Town."


	4. 3: Into the Basement We Go

Update 8/13/17: This work has been edited and beta'd by the lovely and awesome ChaosBalance over on Ao3 who has been an amazing help throughout this journey.

* * *

Tifa listened to the ringing of the phone as she waited for it to be answered. It didn't take long.

"This is Fair," a cheerful male voice answered.

"Hi my name is Tifa. I'm calling about a lost chocobo that I found of yours. It wandered through Nibelheim. I tried to keep it here for you but it wouldn't stay. It's currently headed towards Rocket Town." She was trying so hard not to laugh. If Cloud knew he would be so pissed.

Zack was quiet for a minute as he let it sink in. Laughing he answered, "Yeah, that one doesn't like to stay in one place. I usually let him make deliveries for me but he wanders back eventually. I do need to track him down though. You've been a great help. I've tried putting a tracker on him, but he always finds them. Maybe I can invent a Chocobo PHS?"

Tifa couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Do you really think he would answer it though?" She remembered Cloud not liking to answer the phone in their other life.

"Well, it's me! Who wouldn't answer the phone for me? I'm all kinds of fun!"

"Well you'd probably be the exception then."

"Maybe. Well I guess I have a trip to Rocket Town to make. Maybe do a bit of Cloud-gazing while I'm out of Midgar," Zack said wistfully. Oh, how Cloud would kill them if he could hear their conversation.

"Well good luck with that. Look I have to go. It was nice talking to you and I'm glad I was able to help you out." She said as she looked at the midday sun. "I hope you're able to find your chocobo."

Zack sniggered and answered, "Thank you again. I enjoyed our talk as well."

With that they both hung up.

Tifa shook her head and closed her phone before turning around and heading back into the mansion. Zack was exactly as she remembered him to be, with the added benefit of being alive and healthy. She was also glad that she was able to talk her dad into buying her a PHS as soon as she realized what was going on.

As she walked through the doors, she spotted Cloud staring up at the ceiling. The way he held himself spoke of the life he had carved out for himself. He might have been slim and a bit on the shorter side, but anyone looking at him properly would label him as a predator. The softer side was reserved for those that were close to him. For Tifa, he was a safe place to turn to, to protect her when she needed to let go of everything. It was nice seeing his spirit back in him after everything that they had been through.

After her breakdown and getting over the fact that yes, she was in the past, it was easier to cope with everything. He was her best friend and like a brother to her. Knowing that she could make changes that would keep Cloud from suffering was a big factor in accepting her new reality as well.

Tifa took a look around the foyer as she headed to the stairs. She noted the open doors and cabinets and the slowly vanishing monster remains. It must have been hard for Cloud to not be the one to call Zack. At least she knew that this part of the mansion was relatively safe now.

"You ready to go check in on the resident Vampire?" Cloud asked as he listened to Tifa navigating her way up to the second floor.

"I can't believe he lets you call him that! I remember the one time that Yuffie thought it would be funny to call him that. I don't think she ever got those Materia back from him." Tifa shook her head as she came up besides Cloud.

"That's only because she stole that Materia off of him first anyways. He just used that as an excuse to get it all back from her. Also," Cloud paused as he held up a key and an Odin Materia in his left hand as he started walking towards the secret stairs. "Already took out the Lost Number while you were on the phone."

He hadn't wanted to be nearby to only here Zack's voice and not be able to talk to him. Instead he cleared out the mansion ahead of Tifa. He had also cleared the mansion of all its other items that belonged to the rest of the gang. Like Cait Sith's Silver M-Phone and Yuffie's Twin Viper.

It was a good thing that he could now summon his weapon at will. It would have really sucked having come back without a weapon. Of course Tifa had found her Premium Heart gauntlets at her mother's grave when she went to visit. She had also found her Platinum Fist laying around her house. He was hoping that would mean that Fenrir was somewhere nearby. With his childhood memories back, he had new places to look as well.

Cloud headed to the basement as he heard Tifa following him.

"You think he's already awake?" Tifa asked as she caught up.

"Probably. He didn't like to rest much after we woke him up." Was his only reply as he stared straight ahead. The effort to keep his thoughts clear of flashbacks, and memories that he didn't want to remember, was not easy. Cloud clenched his fists in anger and he tried to push the thoughts away.

"As strange and crazy as all of this is, I'm happy," Tifa started as a way to get Cloud's mind away from where she knew it was. "I mean, my dad's alive and your mom is too. On top of that, there were so many times where I felt guilty that I was able to be happy with my soul mate. I hated having to watch you suffer every time you saw soul mates together. I am happy for you that he's still alive and that you will be able to be together soon." She knew it was helping when she saw his fists unclench and his shoulders relax.

"It was hard. It was an ache that never went away. We didn't even get to really be together in the first life. We didn't find out what we were to each other until after Hojo had got his hooks in us. Even so, I _never_ begrudged anyone finding their mate. It is a precious occasion that I would not take from anyone. Sure it made it harder knowing that I'd never have Zack back, but it always reminded me of how lucky I was to have him." Cloud looked over his shoulder and smiled in an attempt to reassure her that he was okay both then and now.

"That second life helped. It was a shock at first. I thought it was all a dream like you did. I broke down crying in the barracks and that's how Zack found me. It was nice to be by his side. I even got to befriend Sephiroth before he lost his mind. It was a little surreal. We were able to keep him sane for a bit longer, but Hojo had a backup plan." He knew he was talking a lot. It was either keep talking or being lost in painful unwanted memories, Cloud chose to talk.

Tifa was quite while she listened to Cloud. He had told her that things were already different this time around. She could see the little changes all around for herself. The only thing that bothered her was that she didn't know what those changes would do for their plan to save everyone. "So the first step to fixing things is waking Vincent?"

"One of the first steps," he said as he stepped off the last stair before freezing in place. Nothing looked to be out of the ordinary, but there was a feel to the air. "Either Vincent is awake or something is wrong. Stay close."

Tifa knew better than to argue about being able to take care of herself. She had started her training routine but her body was not like she remembered. Since Cloud had Mako running through his veins, it was no surprise that his body was already primed for battle.

As Cloud easily picked his way through the basement to the door that blocked their path from Vincent's coffin, he pulled out his sword to be better prepared for anything. The air around them was stale with mold and must from the conditions, but under it all was the heavier smell of Mako and blood. It was a smell that stained the mansion in a way that it would never leave no matter how many times someone tried to get it out. From the corner of his eye he even caught Tifa scrunching her nose up in disgust. He hadn't realized the smell was so strong for the unenhanced as well.

When they reached the door they both just stared at it for a minute. Tifa was the first to break the silence.

"I don't think you needed to get the key."

Cloud blinks before he turns to look at her fully for a second and then turning back towards the door. "What gave you that impression? It surely wasn't the claw marks that look to have pried the door open." He shook his head as he reached out and pushed on the already open door.

The site that greeted them had Tifa running past Cloud into the room. There in the middle sat the remains of Vincent's destroyed coffin. Cloud let Tifa explore the area as he felt no danger in the room. It was the sounds of thuds and creaks that were coming from deeper in the basement that had him on edge. Tifa turned to him with a comment on her lips before it died in her throat as her eyes grew big and all she could do was point at a spot behind Cloud.


	5. 4: Demons have nothing on Ma's boy

I'm sorry this has take so long. Between life, depression, and writers block it's been a bumpy ride. A HUGE thank you to ChaosBalance for being my beta. Chaos has helped to push me and break through those writer's blocks like no ones business. Also, THANK YOU to all of you who are following this story, have left a comment, or even just a kudos. They motivate me and keep me writing. Even if it's just one word, it means the world that someone took the time to let me know you like my work. So without further ado, please enjoy.

* * *

He heard it just before seeing Tifa's reaction. That's when he sensed the familiar presences that were approaching at an alarmingly fast speed. Cloud braced himself without turning around as the sound of clawed feet bounded towards them.

"Cloud," was all Tifa was able to scream before she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what would happen to either of them. What she wasn't expecting was the sharp laughter and sounds of yipping that assaulted her ears. She hesitantly pried an eye open. The sight that awaited her had them widening is shock.

She was expecting to see blood everywhere. What she saw instead, was what looked to be Galian Beast hugging Cloud's shoulders from behind and drooling on the ground in front of him with what appeared to be a smile on his face. Cloud had an arm raised, scratching the beast under his chin. He wore a mischievous smile when he looked over at her.

Tifa raised her eyebrow as her eyes tracked Cloud's hand as it skittered along Galian's head and behind his ears. "Does this have something to do with that whole, you being The Ultima thing?"

"Yeah something like that," he said as he looked away.

"Look, I don't want to bring up bad memories, but you never really explained it to anyone other than Vincent as far as I know. I want to be able to help you. I can't do that if I don't know the whole story." She knew that frown, and she had no plans to let him draw back into himself. He surprised her though.

"It all started when I defeated ULTIMA WEAPON and JENOVA. The Planet started calling me her 'Honorary Gold WEAPON' and JENOVA was screaming about me being ULTIMA at the end. I'm still not entirely sure what that entails. It's not like she spelled everything out for me or provided a manual. I do know that I have some sort of hive-mind connection with Zack, but it's pretty difficult to use." Cloud paused with an irritable frown on his face as he looked up at Galian before he continued, "I know for a fact though that Chaos knows more than he'll tell me. The other WEAPONs keep calling me 'Boss' or 'Alpha' as well, not sure why." He sighed when all Galian did was yip for more attention.

Tifa tilted her head as she watched Galian. She had never seen the demon so docile. She also couldn't remember a time when Cloud was so talkative. "You okay? You aren't normally this chatty."

"I was tortured down here during two lifetimes. The second being a hell of a lot worse than the first due to me remembering almost all of it the second time around. I am currently trying to stave off a complete mental breakdown, so yes I am chatty." He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, he was looking at Tifa. "Anyways, it does have a little bit to do with why Galian seems to adore me, but not the whole reason."

Galian looked down at him as he spoke. He saw the understanding in those eyes that were flashing between red and copper for dominance over the beast. Before he could react, Galian had licked a strip of skin up the side of his neck and face. "Gross! Galian, Chaos, he's embarrassed enough as it is," he grumbled as he pushed the beast away.

The sounds of Tifa's laughter had him focusing his glare on her. "They don't need the encouragement." She was bent over holding her stomach as she tried to calm herself. He sighed as he wiped the side of his face with his arm.

Off to the side Galian's form was now shimmering as a miasma of red smoke enveloped his body before shrinking in size.

"He could do without your encouragement as well." Vincent complained as he righted himself while the smoke dissipated. A blush was staining his cheeks that he tried to hide in his cowl. He felt vulnerable and exposed.

' _Oh, my host, my own. How easily Galian is able to overpower you at the sight of The Ultima. He has such a chaotic nature, I enjoy it.'_ Chaos gleefully cackled unceasingly.

"Bahamut dammit Chaos! Shut the hell up! It's not that funny, seriously you can stop laughing. Chaos, you idiot, just stop already!" Vincent tried to bury his face farther into his cowl with little success.

After Cloud had tamed Vincent's inner demons, he then helped Vincent tame them himself. It meant that they had not been able to overtake him like that very often. The only times they were able to overpower him after that was if the situation had anything to do with Cloud or Reeve and he wasn't paying as close attention as he should have been. Having the power to keep Chaos from taking control of him was not the same as being able to stop Chaos from annoying the shit out of him when it was convenient for the demon. At least the other demons weren't as hard to manage as Chaos, being as they had a more primal mindset.

Of course Chaos reveled in all of the different emotions that Vincent went through. ' _If you hadn't locked yourself in that coffin for_ _ **years**_ _, I would not torment you the way I do. For the longest time the only emotions that we felt from you were guilt and sorrow._ ' His voice was still full of delighted laughter as he taunted Vincent.

"Oh just shut it already! I get it! I have since way before the end of my first life. Since Reeve beat it into my head that life was worth living." He felt the need to scream, or go find a horde of monsters to take his aggression out on.

"Chaos must be being a right pain in the ass if he has you talking to him out loud. He even has you talking about your relationship with Reeve. When was the last time that happened again?" Tifa asked, trying to hide her snickers behind her hand.

"Alright, I think he's been embarrassed enough, by all of us." Cloud said as he clasped a hand on the man's shoulder. He looked the vampire over to assess that embarrassment was the only thing that was wrong.

Vincent waived his hand as if to brush off the concern. What mattered at the moment was that Chaos had finally quieted down. "Yeah, yeah. Nothing could be worse than the bunny incident though." He shuddered just mentioning it.

Cloud tilted his head in a thoughtful manner before shuddering as well. "I'm glad we can avoid that this time around. We just have to make sure Aerith never steps foot in that store, and hope she forgot all about it. Or maybe stop the store from opening?"

"Agreed."

Tifa looked back and forth between the two with an expression of interest. "May I..?"

"No!" were the simultaneous shouts she received before she could finish the question.

"Okay then. Well how about we finish the second half of what we came here for? We know Vincent is awake and obviously remembers the previous life as well. Now I want out of here," Tifa said as she rubbed her arms. She still wasn't cold, but now that the laughter had died down, she felt the chill of the mansion settling over her again. If it had her on edge, she could only imagine how Cloud was feeling.

Cloud spared her a small reassuring smile before he turned back to Vincent. "So, is everything here ready to be burnt down?"

' _I am ready to see this place torched,'_ Chaos breathed through his mind.

"I don't believe there is anything left to be salvaged. I managed to get anything of use moved out of the mansion and stored in a cave near by." Vincent turned his head to look at Cloud before he continued speaking. "I also found Fenrir. It looked to be fully stocked and your Materia case was next to it as well."

Cloud's eyes lit up at the mention of his beloved bike. It felt like a blessing knowing that he wouldn't have to rebuild the beast. He would have built it if he had to, but it seemed like Gaia was trying to help him as best she could.

"Well that solves the problem of needing Gil, and now I don't have to worry about how I'll get to Midgar eventually," Cloud stated.

Vincent nodded, then gave a savage grin. He held up a relatively small object in his gauntlet and nodded to the back wall of the room.

"Vincent! How do you know how to make the Reactor-Busters we used in AVALANCHE?"

"Did you forget I am an ex-Turk?" Vincent asked with an arched brow. "That and I saw Barrett with one in the second round, and he taught me when I mentioned that I would have liked to use them on Hojo."

"If you two are quite finished, I'd like to get out of here sometime before the monsters respawn."

Cloud gave Tifa a sheepish look before replying. "Let's get everything we want incinerated piled up by one of the bombs, and the other bomb moved up by the doors for easy access to take to the reactor. Then we can mosey on outta here."

* * *

"I remember everything this time. I don't have to rely on you or, Shiva forbid, Chaos for information." Vincent said as he put his hand over his face in remembrance of some of the scenes Chaos had cause by giving him partial truths or no information at all, to way too much information.

' _Oh, you act like you didn't enjoy my meddling,'_ Chaos rumbled. _'We could always ask Reeve if he enjoyed it.'_

"Oh Ifrit! I am begging you, please for my sanity's sake, just stop talking."

"I don't think I want to know what he's going on about if it can make you blush that hard." Cloud commented as he placed a supporting hand on Vincent's shoulder. "So, how much longer until we reach that cave?"

"You'll get to see your beloved bike in a few minutes Cloud." Vincent said, thankful for the topic change. He pointed at a spot up ahead, "It's just up around that bend there."

Cloud bounced as he walked. He was trying so hard to just run ahead and find the cave by himself. He knew Vincent was looking at him strangely, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Upon reaching the cave, Cloud let out a high-pitched squeal that hurt Vincent's ears. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to register the fact that the squeal did in fact come from Cloud, only to realize that Cloud was actually hugging the motorcycle. He tilted his head in confusion before silently chuckling in amusement at the blonde's antics.

"You do realize that even if you not making a sound, I can still tell you're laughing?" Cloud asked without pulling away from his bike. The only two things that had a chance at drawing his attention were Zack, who wasn't there, and the Materia chest that was besides Fenrir.

"So how many of these All-Materia do you think it will take to buy the SHINRA Villa again?"

"More than it will take to buy a decent ranch in Rocket Town, that's for sure." Cloud said as he finally reigned his enthusiasm in.

"You gonna raise Chocobos again? I thought you gave that up when you ended up getting Golds whenever you bred your Yellows?" Vincent watched Cloud carefully. Cloud seemed to be coming back to himself, but he wanted to make sure he had time to cover his ears if he needed to.

"Gold are only banned from racing, but they make for excellent courier mounts. I'm gonna expand my business and I'll need more than just me doing deliveries." Cloud kicked the ground in thought for a moment, "Yeah, I have no plans to build a fleet of Fenrirs. Gold chocobos will be the easiest."

"Well, now that you have your bike, I think it's time to set the charges and get out of this town."

"You're forgetting something Vince."

"What?"

"MY MA! THAT'S WHAT!"

"I didn't forget. I was including her when I said that."

"Good! You better not forget my ma. Besides, she'll adore you." Cloud reached down and began strapping the Materia chest in place before swinging his leg on to Fenrir. He opened a compartment and pulled out two pairs of riding goggles.

Vincent stared at the pair that was held out to him for a moment before raising a brow at Cloud.

Cloud stared back, unfazed by the intensity in the vampire's eyes. "Don't give me that look. We're trying to not draw any extra attention to us. You flying around the town would be the exact opposite. So put these on, get behind me, and hold on tight."

Vincent glared at him for a moment before conceding and snatching up the goggles.

* * *

"I SAID SLOW DOWN!"

"MA!"

Rain looked up at the noise coming towards her and felt her jaw drop. There was her little boy on the back of a death trap. It took a moment to realize that there was a man in red hanging onto the back of Cloud. "Cloud Strife! Get off that monstrosity now! You have a room to pack and boxes to help me move."

"How could you? He has feelings too!" Cloud looked at her like she had murdered someone. He pet the handlebars of the bike before speaking to it, "She didn't mean it, I promise."

"You may have built that bike yourself, but must you really treat it like that? Also, even with your enhancements, do you have to go that fast and get that close to obstacles? I swear you even scared Hellmasker quiet. I am never riding bitch with you again, no matter WHAT Chaos might say."

' _You can fly faster than the speed of sound, but you are scared of how he drives?'_ Chaos chimed in. _'And here I was starting to respect you. Tsk, tsk.'_

' _Since when have you ever shown me respect?_ _'_

' _I didn't say show respect, just that I had been starting to respect you.'_

"VINCENT!"

Vincent blinked his eyes and looked sharply at Cloud.

"You're being rude. I'm trying to introduce you to my Ma. Stop talking to the demons, and say hello." He received a glare for that. He couldn't really seem to mind though, he kinda deserved it.

Vincent looked at the woman in front of him. Blinked at her resemblance to Cloud, and offered his flesh hand out to shake.

"What are we business partners?" Rain said before taking Vin's hand and pulling him in for a hug, leaving the man floundering as to what he should do. He looked to Cloud for help only to find him already headed into the house, leaving him to an unknown fate.

* * *

Comments, favorites, and follows are life!

Preview for Chapter 5: "SEE, I told you it wasn't a false alarm!" Genesis had started glaring at Angeal. He finished staring at Angeal before looking to Zack to explain. "We're having an intervention for you. Something is wrong and we plan to figure out what.


	6. 5: The World as We Know it is Ending

Thank you to ChaosBalance for being my beta. Also, THANK YOU to all of you who have favorited this story or have left a review. They motivate me and keep me writing. Even if it's just one word, it means the world that someone took the time to let me know they liked my work. So without further ado, please enjoy.

11/11/17 update: I made a few small changes after rereading. A continuity error was caught and a few rough paragraphs were fixed that weren't caught before.

* * *

It was later in the day when it happened. Zack was sitting there getting through the insane amount of paperwork he had never bothered to work on before. He had the radio on in the background that he was using for white noise. The sound lulling him through a steady rhythm of reading reports, tossing Science Department requests, or signing his name.

The loud thud that hit his door had him almost falling out of his chair in surprise. When he had his bearings back, he looked at the door with a glare on his face ready to be mad at whoever was disturbing him. When there was an actual knock on the door he blinked in bewilderment. It had to be a trick.

"Zack. I know you're in there. Let us in." That threw him off even more. The only reason Angeal showed up at his office was to give him a lecture or give him more work. He didn't want either. What was more, was that he said 'us'. Who could he possibly have with him?

With a sigh of resignation Zack got up and went to unlock his door. The sight beyond the frame had him tilting his head in confusion. There was Angeal standing at the door waiting for him to open it, but behind him was Sephiroth, and kneeling on the floor next to him was Genesis cradling his wrist to his chest. Zack scratched the back of his head for a moment. After staring and being stared at for a minute, he finally motioned them into his office.

As soon as the door was shut, Angeal bluntly asked what was on his mind. "Would you care to explain the call I got from the Department of Administrative Research about you being a possible spy?"

If it was even possible, Zack's eyes grew even bigger. Shock and surprise warring on his face, before amusment won out. "Wow! That's a new one. I mean I was expecting this to be something to do with the cheesy orange juice." At the looks he received for that he coughed and averted his eyes before moving on. "Is this, in any way, shape, or form, related to me actually doing my paperwork for once?"

Angeal's face blanked, "I am choosing to ignore that first bit." He took a deep breath before continuing, "You actually did your paperwork? Without me having to ride your ass over it? Completely voluntarily, with no complaining, sitting still for hours on end?"

"SEE, I told you it wasn't a false alarm!" Genesis shouted as he glared at Angeal. He finished glaring at Angeal, then he looked at Zack in order to explain, "We're having an intervention for you. Something is wrong and we plan to figure out what."

"I'm more concerned that you might have had a bad reaction to the shot that was meant for me." Seph was staring at Zack. If you didn't know what you were looking for his face looked passive, but the minute crinkle at the corner of his eyes and the small furrow in his brow gave away the immense worry the Silverette was feeling.

"Okay, let's back up a second. You think I need an intervention because I grew up a bit and realized I have to get my work done?" Zack asked in slight amusement. Said amusement faded when what Sephiroth had said registered, "Wait, WHAT SHOT?"

"Seph, I asked you not to mention anything to him until the labs came back with the results." he said as he ran a hand down his face. "Zack, the Mako in your First-Class shot was different than the Mako normal SOLDIERs get. There was supposedly a mix up and you were given a shot meant for Sephiroth." He let out a small sigh as he closed his eyes. "They have no idea how the shot ended up being mixed with your booster. All they will say is that there should be no adverse effects."

"You're leaving out the part where if you hadn't had a nice long talk with the President, Hojo would have him down in the labs for study. Something about your lab results from your after-shot blood tests showing a mutation. The Hel if I know what he was going on about." Gen blurted from where he was reclined on the couch. "It's not like he can hide his sick obsessions from us."

Zack shuddered at the mention of Professor Creepy before tilting his head again, "So. You're telling me there should be no side effects from a shot that normally contains how many different experimental drugs? Add in the fact that now I supposedly have some sort of mutation and still there should be 'no side effects'? I call chocoboshit!" He closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed before slowly opening them again.

"Shiva's tits, nothing can be easy, can it?" Zack muttered before leaning his weight back on his desk. He looked up to see Angeal looking like he was about to have a conniption. "Please sit down before you pop a blood vessel or something."

Angeal's eyes narrowed as he eyed the way Zack was steadily, though still fidgety, composing himself. "You're taking this better than I thought you would," he said before slowly moving over to the nearest seat available.

Sephiroth followed Angeal to the couch and sat a respectable distance while still trying to give comfort. He knew that Angeal was worried out of his mind.

Zack looks at his hands as he starts talking. "Look, here's the deal…." he started before grabbing his head in agony.

Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal were unable to notice Zack's pain, as they were overwhelmed with pain themselves.

Then they heard a voice, no... two voices.

'ULTIMA! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' The Female was screeching so loud it felt like their brains were being flayed apart.

'Getting rid of YOU once and for all! You will no longer torment the WEAPONS, you will no longer enslave those poor Humans, YOU WILL NO LONGER TORTURE THOSE THAT LIVE WITHIN YOUR DEADLY GRASP, AND YOU WILL NO LONGER INFECT THIS PLANET WITH YOUR DISEASE! I am The Ultima, the Honorary Gold WEAPON and I have come TO ERADICATE THE SOURCE OF THE GEOSTIGMA PLAGUE!' The second voice was all male and it held a strength of will that spoke volumes. Not to mention that particular voice had a surprisingly soothing quality.

'Fuck Spikey, KICK THE BITCH'S ASS!' That was all Zack was able to get out before he was straining to desperately keep his grip on the web he had been idly exploring all morning, as he worked on improving his meditation while completing his paperwork. He had managed to identify several friends of his in the web, not to mention his three superiors, and he would be damned before he would let them die or just fade away.

The three First-Class SOLDIERs did their best to sort out the sensations they were feeling. They heard everything as clear as if it had been shouted in their ears, but it hadn't even been spoken aloud. Then they could feel Zack showering this Ultima and/or Spikey with love. Between the pain and confusion they felt the male Zack had called to, attempting to repair the damage the female had somehow caused.

The three Firsts felt their minds being touched. They came away with the sensation of exhaustion from this 'Ultima', although the love pouring from Zack seemed to be giving the 'Ultima' more energy. It did not explain why Zack was showering the 'Ultima' with love, but they conceded that it was not the time to ponder that question. He was doing something to a part of their minds they hadn't even been aware of. Their minds were being gently pulled; woven into a new configuration between the three Firsts, Zack, this Ultima, and all of the SOLDIER's.

Suddenly, there was a shift, and the mind that could only have belonged to 'Ultima' seemed to just expand and fill whatever void was left behind by the female's destruction. He slowly released the tension that felt like it was about to shatter their minds and in doing so it liberated them from the sheer pain into the relief of unconsciousness.

* * *

The squad of Thirds that had been tasked with investigating a cave that many travelers had gone missing near, suddenly stopped and crouched in near perfect unison. They had no other choice but to stop, seeing as how their heads had been about to split open by the screams of an unknown woman and man. The group felt the man reaching out to try and ease the burden of pain the woman's screaming had caused. They had been about to try to shake it off until they heard the man's voice louder than before and directed straight at them.

'NO, DON'T GO THERE! IT'S A MAKO-MUTATED KING BEHEMOTH! RUN!'

They blinked before comprehending the command. Pushing through the rising panic they tried to flee in time. Unfortunately they could hear the crashing of a great beast behind them. Looking back, they spotted the very monster they had been warned about thrashing around, working its way closer to the entrance of the cave, trying to track the squad as they raced away as fast as their enhancements could carry them.

It was only sheer dumb luck that one of the flare guns had become loose in its holder. Luck that had the gun slip free in the mad dash to safety. Luck that had the gun go off on impact with the ground. Sheer dumb luck, that the flare was sent straight into the monster's gaping maw. Sheer Dumb Luck that allowed them to get away while the beast thrashed in pain and make it back to the Helo that was waiting for them nearby.

If they had advanced only a little further, if they had gone only a little deeper, then the mutated King Behemoth would have managed to snag the chopper just as it was lifting off. The male voice they heard referred to as The Ultima, seemed to have been able to hold off their pain so that they could function long enough to attempt an escape to safety. When The Ultima finally drew back, the pain washed over them. Milder in its intensity, but still painful nonetheless. Blissful darkness took over as they passed out.

His warning could not have come at a better time.

* * *

Reviews are life!

Preview for Chapter 6: "To give my old man the mother of all headaches. Vincent, start setting up the Reactor-Buster, and keep Ma safe. I'm going to sucker-punch a virus-bitch." Cloud snarled as he started for the reactor's inner room.


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